A woman who a teenager accused of murder blames for the death of a six-year-old girl felt “jealous and threatened” by her, a court has heard.

However, the High Court in Glasgow also heard Toni McLachlan was said to “love” Alesha MacPhail and be “really good” to her.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies abducting, raping and murdering Alesha.

A charge he faced of attempting to hide evidence was dropped by the Crown on Wednesday.

The schoolgirl’s body was found in woods on the Isle of Bute on July 2 last year hours after she was reported missing from the home her father shared with his parents on the island.

The accused has lodged a special defence of incrimination, blaming Ms McLachlan, the partner of Alesha’s father Robert MacPhail.Alesha MacPhail was found dead in woodland on the Isle of Bute last July (Lesley Martin/PA)

Witness Lynsey Calderwood, 20, told the court she was good friends with Ms McLachlan when Alesha went missing.

Questioned about Ms McLachlan’s relationship with the schoolgirl, Ms Calderwood said: “They were happy, they got on really well. Toni was really good to her and they both liked each other.”

A statement she gave to police on July 5 said: “I always felt Toni was jealous and she felt threatened of the time and attention Rab (Robert MacPhail) gave to Alesha.”

The witness told the court Ms McLachlan was a “wee bit jealous” but not “really jealous” of Alesha.

She also said that the day after Alesha went missing Toni said something to her along the lines of “she’s in a better place”, which she thought was odd.

Her police statement had Ms McLachlan saying “something like ‘It’s for the best’”.

Ms Calderwood said her friend had definitely said “she’s in a better place”.